Our bizarre national discourse.

[smoogatz]

It occurred to me as I was reading this http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/05/a-conservatives-case-for-sarah-palins-genius/56790/ that one of the weird things about our national discourse is that it's perfectly okay--expected, even--for conservative politicians to attack generic "liberals" for "their lifestyles. The cars they drive. Their highbrow ways," whatever those would be, but it's totally NOT okay for Democratic politicians to attack conservatives for being backward, racist, gullible troglodytes. I think Reagan started the whole "make fun of liberals" thing, and the (then) mostly liberal press thought it was kind of charming and funny--good natured ribbing! Now it's de rigueur, standard operating procedure for conservatives, even though the anti-liberal rhetoric is exponentially more violent--but turnabout is totally off the table for Democrats and always has been. Why do our politicians cede this weird rhetorical advantage to Republicans? Is it because they don't want to stoop to their level? They don't want to look childish?

[patrice]

1. Why? The discourse would reveal too much, i.e. "let the cat out of the bag". The problem is

that the "cat" is already "out of the bag" and we have only been pretending otherwise for various levels of financial reward.

The truth, by definition, is inevitable, so that invisible "cat" has been pissing in our "wheaties" all long and the longer we pretend otherwise, the more unfit those "wheaties" become, until eventually, perhaps even already, those "wheaties" are poison.

[rudy23]

2. It's politically okay to make fun of people for being "too smart", ideals "too lofty"

The person making that accusation, in that case, comes off as self-effacing.

Attacking people for being ignorant, or how they'd perceive it--attacking them for not being born smart enough, is a polarizing statement that's hard to make without putting oneself "above the fray" and talking down to people.

So yes, the willfully ignorant have a profound political advantage over us, and that's being milked for all it's worth.

[smoogatz]

3. Does it come off as self-effacing?

It always just sounds like anti-intellectual buffoonery to me. But I guess the fact that I would use a phrase like "anti-intellectual buffoonery" makes me a merlot-drinking, Volvo-driving elitist. Even though I drink bourbon and drive a Toyota minivan.

[rudy23]

4. We're in a small minority of people who think it's buffoonish. The numbers favor the average & below

It makes the politician who bashes the intellectual, seem like they would NEVER use their intellect to deceive their constituency the way those know-it-alls always do.

[troubledamerican]

5. Why do you hate America?

Just kidding.

"I'd like to put a bullet through Michael Moore's head" -- "I was only kidding"

"It's hunting season on liberals" -- "Just kidding"

"It would be nice to have a military coup and get rid of these Democrats" -- "Get a grip, lighten up, get over it, I'm an entertainer"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Condor